Central City is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. Central City is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Colorado camping adventure.
$18 / night
"area was plowed open to exactly the width of our trailer, so with more than three feet of snow on the ground we needed to get some exercise and do a bit of shoveling so we could back in and be able to walk"
"Late October is very unpredictable in Colorado for a camper who is primarily a tent camper."
"This location is about 39 miles from Downtown Denver or about 45-60 mins (with traffic). They should just say Central City KOA in the title."
"Very close to Central City and Blackhawk!"
$28 - $90 / night
"This spot is just a quick ride outside of Golden. The scenery is gorgeous with several trails to hike or mountain bike. The campsites are clean and easy to get to."
"Stunning campground nestled right outside Golden and Boulder Colorado. We couldn’t believe it…so close but you feel incredibly removed once you get there."
"So the Gordon Gulch dispersed camping area has around 15 numbered sites that are ok... but if you keep driving further down 233.1 you will find many more unnumbered campsites."
"Getting here is easy, only a few miles away from Nederland and I had cell service (verizon) the entire time."
"Not only is this pretty easy to reach, but Peak to Peak highway is great to drive. Just take P to P south from Nederland and turn right on HWY 132… Campsites and trailhead are about 1/2 mile down. "
"Great (free) Forrest Service campground west of Boulder, CO near a cute little town Nederland."
$26 / night
"Easy to access from Black Hawk/Central City. Tons of forests to explore nearby. It was very busy- sign said campground full but after a drive around all the sites we found one that was open!"
"The drive up is super bumpy but we made it here in a class A just fine. Close to Central City/Black Hawk if you need a quick trip to the grocery store."
$33 - $40 / night
"They use a keycode system to restrict access to the centrally-located bathhouse (there is only one in the campground), which I thought was clever. "
"The highway noise was very noticeable, but didn’t take away from the peaceful setting. It was a clean campground. The bathrooms and showers were clean and have a key code for entry."
"Just outside of Idaho Springs, take the exit for Co Rd 275 off of I-70. It's a scenic drive up a curvy paved road for about 15 minutes."
"It is about 7 miles of dirt road, and 4 miles of very challenging (for me) driving.
Be sure to follow the sign LEFT to Chinns Lake. "
$29 / night
"Kelly Dahl is a nice campground to get away from the heat of summer and be near Nederland and Blackhawk Colorado. It is quiet during the week and busy on the weekends."
"Mountain biking and hiking are nearby. Nederland Colorado town is nearby (population about 8k) for supplies."
$32 - $80 / night
"Had a great spot right next to the Clear Creek walking path. The campground is clean and well looked after. Clean bathrooms and showers. Close to many hikes and mt trails."
"**Campground Review: **
Golden, CO is a super cute town on the outskirts of Denver. The city has a campground in a prime location, and we were lucky to book a site!"
GuideThe road is okay it goes up and up and up with little issue. There are campsites way up in there. Some need 4x4 to get to some you can just pull off the road a little. The place didnt have a great vibe. Lots of homeless type setups. The woods is all burnt up so it is a little depressing and alot of bugs. Some great views tho and a little verizon cell depending depending which way you are facing. Overall this juat didnt feel right. Maybe different other times of year
GuideThis place was okay. The road was okay but I didnt go up to far. There are 3 spots right as you go in that offer very fast access to a site. You get alot of road noise and people stopping at the trail head. A little verizon signal but not great. No views. Its also very high altitude like over 11k feet so if you haven't adjusted to elevation I would not recommend this as a first stop
TravelerRoad coming in has some gnarly washboard for the first 2ish miles, at one point we were just crawling cause it was so rough. After that it's smooth sailing until you get to the part of the road where it narrows, just pray other cars aren't coming down the road, there's some blind hills & turns, locals were just flying through it, almost had a head on collision, so go slow. Sites 1-3 were empty on a Thursday around 5pm. There's absolutely no shade for 1-3, we grabbed 3, it being the closest to the woods. Now if you go past 3 there's a sign for a trailhead & then a sign that says the road is closed in 3/4 of a mile, sites 4-7 are down there, I would recommend having some sort of suv/truck, the dirt road is a little off cambered. I think 7 is the most epic, but all those sites were taken.
Site 3: All the sites have a bbq pit & fire ring. I give this site 3 stars cause of all the broken glass & shot guns shells. There was very minimal trash, but man, my dog couldn't walk anywhere cause of all the glass. The weather said absolutely no rain, but just a word of caution, it might rain, we got stormed on multiple times. If you have a roof top tent, you might be able to get 3-4 bars of 5G. I have verizon, my wife has mint mobile, both were able to doom scroll while it was raining.
Try to get there as early as possible, maybe you can secure the sites in the woods!
ScoutInitially, the campgrounds were hard to find. Keep driving down Ski road until you find a fork in the road, and from there onwards are the campsites. Good whitenoise from the creek
GuideLong dirt road, with many spots to pick from along it. Road was bumpy but most cars could manage. Lots of wildlife; squirrels, rabbits, and a moose that walked right by our campsite. There was some trash near the fire ring, but the rest of the site was clean.
GuideThere were a few spots following up the trail! Beautiful area and pretty quiet overall! No bears/wildlife to be scared of! The weather was so nice we slept in hammocks all week!
GuidePassing through on my way out of Colorado and was seeing the Thomas Dambo trolls and stopped for the evening before continuing to Rocky Mountains National Park.
ScoutWe payed a 234 dollar deposit for a four night stay but had to cancel two months in advance and lost the deposit, would never stay at this nasty unethical campground, the employee blames the owner but she works there and enforces the policies which makes her as bad as the owner
ScoutGorgeous views up here! The drive up is super bumpy but we made it here in a class A just fine. Close to Central City/Black Hawk if you need a quick trip to the grocery store. Quiet most of the time, though there are quite a few ATVs flying past and a shooting range nearby. Campsites are relatively close together but the trees offer decent privacy. The sites are mostly level, which is to be expected when you’re parked on dirt. Love it here and will likely be back!
Camping near Central City, Colorado, offers a mix of stunning views and outdoor adventures. Whether you're pitching a tent or rolling in with an RV, there's something for everyone in this beautiful area.
Camping near Central City, Colorado, is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, but it's good to be prepared. With beautiful campgrounds and plenty of activities, you're sure to have a memorable experience!
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, Central City, CO offers a wide range of camping options, with 407 campgrounds and RV parks near Central City, CO and 124 free dispersed camping spots.
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Central City, CO is Deer Creek Campground — Golden Gate Canyon with a 4.6-star rating from 48 reviews.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 124 free dispersed camping spots near Central City, CO.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 14 parks near Central City, CO that allow camping, notably Bankhead National Forest and Chugach National Forest.
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